Fact or myth: Has it been scientifically proven that the effects of prayer lead to healing?

Most people are surprised to learn that numerous well-conducted and scientifically valid studies provide convincing evidence that the effects of prayer can promote physical healing.

Of course, faithful people of all religious denominations have always affirmed that prayer can heal our bodies along with our souls. But these claims have always been questioned by science.

In an attempt to resolve this dispute between science and religion, many researchers have studied the effects of prayer on the physical and mental well-being of people. Both believers and non-believers have studied prayer, and their results are incredibly convincing.

New help test of a higher power

One of the most recent studies on the effects of "feeling close to a higher power" was conducted at Wayne State University in Michigan and was published this year in Psychology of rehabilitation. " The research team found that victims of traumatic brain injuries who feel closer to a higher power actually rehabilitate faster.

"Feeling connected to a superior power positively impacted not only his feelings, but also his functional results, what they could do", Said lead researcher Brigid Waldron-Perrine." So not only did they feel better, there was evidence that they performed better in their ability to do daily tasks. "

Quantifying the effects of prayer

The Waldron-Perrine findings confirm decades of existing evidence of the healing benefits of prayer. One of the most cited studies on the subject comes from the Coronary Care Unit of the General Hospital of San Francisco.

Between August 1982 and May 1983, 393 patients in the Coronary Care Unit participated in a double-blind trial that evaluated the effects of prayer. By randomized computer selection, half of the patients were designated to receive the prayer and half were not. None of the patients had a way of knowing which group they had been assigned to, or whether they would receive prayer or not.

The most important thing is that the patients for whom they prayed had fewer cases of a serious condition called pulmonary edema (which often leads to heart failure) and fewer deaths.

According to the physicians at San Francisco General, the positive results for those patients could only be attributed to the power effects of prayer.

Prayer and long-term health

The effects of prayer can not only be an important healing tool in times of crisis, but can also promote a sustained state of well-being. A fascinating study conducted by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond analyzed the lives of 1,902 pairs of twins.

It turned out that twins committed to the spiritual life tended to have lower rates of:

• depression• Addiction• Divorce

The Richmond study indicated that active participation in a spiritual community is strongly linked to stability and general health.

This is your brain in God

The most extraordinary of all is the way in which prayer has been shown to produce physical changes in the brain. Barbara Bradley Hagerty put together a 5 part series of NPR entitled: Is this your brain in God? In the series, Hagerty explores a possible reason why prayer has such a refreshing and preventive potential. That is, scientists can see striking differences between the brains of those who pray or meditate often and those who do not.

One scientist in particular had published amazing findings. His name is Andrew Newberg, and he is a practicing neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania and author of How God changes your brain. Newberg has been scanning the brains of people with religious convictions for more than 10 years. He says that meditation in particular has a very visible effect on the frontal lobe of the brain. He believes that the neurological effects of prayer and meditation can be long-lasting.

The secrets of the maximum power of prayer

Perhaps the most interesting and important detail of all this research is that certain factors affect how powerful the benefits of prayer will be. These factors are basically qualities of human consciousness, such as:

• Taking care of• Compassion• Empathy• Love

The stronger these qualities are, the greater the benefits of prayer. One thing is valid for all studies on prayer, and that is that it is not important what you are specifically believe in. What matters is if you believe in something, and Like you put that belief into practice

Fact or myth: Has it been scientifically proven that the effects of prayer lead to healing? Source: http://undergroundhealthreporter.com/effects-of-prayer-can-lead-to-healing/